Peacetime
by EmrysVII
Summary: Months have passed since the First Order was defeated with the help of Kylo Ren/Ben Solo, who has come back to the light side of the Force. Back on the Republic planet of Coruscant, Kylo struggles getting back into society - with Rey at his side, and a few of Uncle Luke's guiding words, anything is possible.
1. New Year's

It was New Year's Eve on Coruscant. Parties were being thrown all across the planet, the biggest being the Resistance's. It had been nearly half a year since Snoke and the First Order were defeated, there were still pockets of the First Order hiding out among the various star systems in the galaxy, but there was no centralized command.

Kylo sat on a bench at the bar alone with his back to the bar, moving his eyes throughout the room looking at everyone. His eyes locked onto Rey, who was on the dance floor with Finn and Poe. Mostly everyone was still apprehensive of him, making such a quick turn from the dark to the light was bound to raise questions. Their opinions didn't matter though, Rey knew he was on their side - Kylo could see it in her eyes every time she looked at him. He pictured her smiling her big, bright smile - the one thing that always made him feel good no matter the situation.

Kylo felt someone come up behind him. He guessed it was the bartender and thought nothing of it, until he felt that person's hand pat his back. Kylo quickly turned around and was greeted by the face of his Uncle Luke.

"What're you doing all the way over here, Ben?" Luke asked.

Kylo looked down at the bar, he was still not accustomed to being called Ben again, "It keeps tensions low," he said with a sigh, "People don't want the guy who they think could've killed their loved ones on the same dance floor as them."

Luke ruffled his nephew's hair, "Turn around Ben," he lifted a finger on his mechanic hand towards Rey, "She wants you out there with her."

"You can't possibly know…" Kylo started.

 _There's a connection I have with all my students Ben. Trust me, you want to be out there with her and she wants you to be with her. You two are connected. Now go!_

Kylo felt the slight force push lodge him out of his seat, _Thanks Uncle Luke_.

Luke looked at his nephew walking down towards Rey _._ He felt his nephew's growing power through the Force, almost certain that the power came from his love for Rey. Luke wondered, perhaps the Jedi Order of his father's time truly forbid love because of the immeasurable strength it gave to force users. _I'll meditate on that later_ , he thought to himself finishing the rest of his hot chocolate. _Now where's that bartender at?_

Kylo walked down to the dance floor to where Rey was, music pounded against his eardrums in no way it had before. People cleared out of his way, some were highly weary of him, he felt it, but the majority did their best to not worry and have a good time.

Rey saw Kylo upon his approach to her, Poe, and Finn, and smiled at him. He smiled back; everyone else's feelings that he had just been tuned in to all faded out and it was just her. She extended her hand out to him, still smiling. Kylo took it and the four of them danced for quite a while, laughing at each other's silly moves - having a good time, enjoying the galaxy's relative peace.

In the middle of it all, Kylo heard Rey's voice in his head, "So this is what having fun feels like," the voice said in a relaxed tone.

He stopped dancing for a second, and focused on her, replying, "I guess so!"

Rey stopped for a moment too, they caught each other's eyes, and smiled at one another.

 _I guess Uncle Luke was right, we are connected._

Nearly everyone was off the dance floor, Kylo and Finn had just called it quits. They were sweating buckets trying to keep up with Rey and Poe, who were the last two still dancing, with what seemed to be an unlimited amount of energy.

Panting, Finn asked, "How in the hell are they going on for so long?!"

Kylo looked at him, he had just been treated like another person. Not a murderer or an antagonist, but just another dancer. He was breathing heavily as well, and replied, "Rey's strong with the Force, she can probably augment her stamina to beyond human limits, as for him..." Kylo's memory drifted back to the time he had tortured Poe. He regretted every bad and hurtful thing he'd done, but Poe had already forgiven him for what he'd done about a month after the Resistance victory.

Kylo began again, "As for him, he has to be superhuman."

"You dam sure got that right," Finn said under his breath.

Kylo's eyes widened, "Pardon?"

 _Fuck he heard that?!_ Finn thought. "Oh, nothing," he replied in a noticeably higher pitched voice.

With more than a hint of suspicion, Kylo moved his eyes back to the dance floor, where Rey and Poe were battling out to the limits of their stamina. Another ten minutes passed, and the final two grew quite a crowd, half of which was in favor of Rey to keep going on, while the other half was pro-Poe. Time began to noticeably wear down Poe, who started to move ever the more slowly; Rey on the other hand kept her energy expense at the same level all the way through without a sign of slowing.

Finally, Poe motioned his hand in a "whatever" sort of fashion, metaphorically throwing in the towel. The party erupted with noise, they began to chant "Rey" so loudly that Kylo swore it could be heard to the lowest levels of Coruscant.

 _Nice job, Rey!_

 _Thanks Ben, you weren't so bad yourself out there. Hey, I was wondering, once this whole crowd dies down, want to go out somewhere for food?_

Kylo looked at her, she was crowd surfing through the room, and beamed with pride for her. _Sure! There's nothing else I'd rather do._


	2. We Live on in Memories

**Hey all! I was wondering if you'd think it better if I just swapped out Kylo for Ben entirely. I mean it would make sense right? Kylo was the name he adopted when going to the dark side, but he's done with all that now. Let me know whatcha think!**

* * *

People began to leave the party en masse, leaving only a dozen behind. In that group of a dozen were Rey, Kylo, Finn, Poe, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca. The others were senators in the New Republic, of which Leia had been voted Chancellor. Leia hadn't been all too surprised upon hearing the news of being elected chancellor. It was a good position for her, it kept her beyond busy, plus she didn't have many more obligations - her Ben was back with the light and the galaxy was more or less stable. The only thing missing was Han.

She looked at Ben, _I know you had to do it, I just wish it didn't have to happen._

Leia quickly brushed any doubt about her son away; Luke had once again started the Jedi Order on Coruscant at the Jedi Temple, and Leia always took a couple hours at the end of her day to go learn from her twin brother. One of his first lessons to her upon getting back to Coruscant was to never keep dwelling on the past and wondering what could have been. Leia looked over to her brother, who was leaving, most likely getting ready for another day of training his students at the Temple. They waved goodbye to one another and Luke left the grand hall in which the party had been held. Leia turned back to her fellow politicians, who were making small talk about what happened at the last Senate meeting, and joined in with them.

Some more time passed, and it was just Kylo, Rey, Finn, and Poe. Chewbacca had left with Leia upon her exit, in the process of which she told the last four "You four have until 2:30. Oh, and don't get into any trouble."

They all waved her off and continued with their own conversation.

"So, you two," Rey said towards Finn and Poe, "Ben and I were gonna go out for a bit to eat. Care to join us?"

Finn let out an obviously forced yawn, "Oh I don't know, Rey. I'm thinking about calling it a night."

"A night with Poe," Kylo added in teasingly, making Rey laugh, and much to Finn's chagrin.

Poe laughed awkwardly, getting up and taking Finn by the arm. "Well, I hope the two of you have a fun night, we sure are," he said with bolstered confidence.

The pair subsequently exited, the last thing heard was Finn laughing at something Poe had whispered into his ear. This left Kylo and Rey alone, still sitting at the bar.

"Where are we off to?" Kylo asked.

Rey laughed, "To be completely honest, I have no idea! Master Luke's been having me train since the fall of the First Order - I don't really know anywhere to go. I asked because I thought you would know."

Kylo looked down, scanning his memories from when he was a kid to all the places his mom had taken him out to eat. _No, they're all closed at this hour_. A light went off in his head and he took Rey's hand, "I have an idea," he said with a smile.

* * *

Coruscant's CoCo Town wasn't exactly the place Kylo would've particularly liked to take Rey on a "first date." He would've preferred something a bit more extravagant - his mom _was_ the Chancellor of the New Republic, he could go anywhere, but time didn't allow it. Kylo's memory of the area wasn't the best, he remembered being there with his dad when he was five, they'd gone to a small diner after Han had finished some business with one of Jabba the Hutt's cousins. Still, even that he couldn't remember much of; the main thing he remembered was a plate of pancakes his dad ordered for him. He remembered the smile on his dad's face right after his own face lit up after the first bite, Kylo wanted to see that reaction on Rey's face. Her smile was like heroin to him, he was hooked on it - Rey's smile was basically guaranteed as well, life on Jakku was surely short of flavorful foods.

The two walked into the small diner, and heard a booming male voice call out at them from the kitchen, "Sit anywhere you like! I'll be out with you in a minute," the voice said in a genial manner. Kylo motioned to sit at the bar, to which Rey nodded her head. They sat down and out came a large, four-armed being with a grease stained shirt, he had a name tag on the shirt over his heard with the name "Dexter" on it. Dexter took a measure of both of them, and as he got to their waists, a puzzled look came over his face. On Kylo and Rey's waists were their lightsabers, out for the world to see.

Dex cocked his head at an angle and started, "My, my. I haven't seen those in a long time," pointing at their lightsabers with a finger of his upper right arm, "You two are Jedi, aren't you?"

Kylo and Rey affirmed Dexter's question by nodding their heads and saying, "Yes we are," simultaneously.

"I have a story to tell you two once we get your food out to you. What're you having?" Dex said with a large grin on his face.

Kylo went off explaining the pancakes his dad had ordered all those years ago, and as he finished, Dex's face lit up once again, unleashing a boisterous laugh, much to Kylo's confusion.

"I've only sold those pancakes to a few people in all my years, one of them being Han Solo. My eyesight isn't what it once was, but looking at you, I see that smuggler's face in yours. You're that boy he brought in all those years ago, aren't you?"

A smile came across Kylo's face, _How could he possibly remember that?_ "Yes, I'm K- I'm Ben Solo, Han's son."

"I knew it!" Dex exclaimed, banging his lower two arms on the counter top. "We'll get you and your girlfriend those pancakes out in just a second!" Dex turned his head to the kitchen, "Two orders of Lingonberry Crepes! And make it quick! We have Han Solo's son in here!"

Rey's cheeks lit up red, she didn't want to protest to Dex calling her Ben's girlfriend. _Being Han's son does come with it's perks, doesn't it?_

Kylo, whose cheeks had gone red as well, turned his head to the right at Rey, she had that smile on her face. _I guess it does,_ he replied in a somewhat somber fashion, knowing he'd eventually have to tell Dex about Han being gone.

Rey put her hand on Kylo's shoulder, "It's alright Ben," she said reassuringly.

He raised his hand and put it over her's, "I know. Thanks."

"Your dad loves these," Dex said nostalgically, "What's he up to these days? Not much I'm sure. Perhaps flying the _Falcon_ every now and then I suppose. Anyways, I'm rambling! You go ahead."

Kylo looked at Dex with a piercing gaze, "Dex. My dad... He was... killed on Starkiller Base at the hands of Kylo Ren. Ren is dead now though, Rey made sure of that."

Dex's face noticeably saddened, "My, my. I'm terribly sorry to hear that, Ben. Your dad was the greatest smuggler I'd ever met, and though he didn't show it, I knew he was one of the greatest men in the galaxy."

"Yes he was," Rey added in.

The order up bell rung behind Dex, he turned around and picked up the plates. "Well then, these are to Han Solo!"

He laid the plates gently on the counter top, and grabbed forks for both Kylo and Rey, "Enjoy!"

Kylo glanced at Rey, who seemed clueless as to what to do with the plate of food, "Rey," he said aloud to grab her attention, "The topping is lingonberry jam, you spread it on the pancakes. And that light purple blob is lingonberry butter. You can spread that on too if you like," he finished with a slight smile.

 _Thanks for helping out. I never had toppings on Jakku. I don't even know what these are, really._

 _Just go for it, you'll love them. I promise._

Rey cut a portion off of one of the pancakes, dipping it in some of the jam and then taking a bite. She chewed for a bit, then swallowed. Then a laugh which Kylo could only describe as one of pure elation followed.

"These are absolutely amazing!" she said excitedly, and began to cut another piece off.

Dex crossed his arms, _Another satisfied customer,_ he said to himself, letting out a chuckle in the process.

"I knew you'd like them," Kylo said with a slight laugh before taking a bite from his own plate of pancakes. "So Dex, what's this story about a Jedi you have?"

"Well," Dex began, "He was just a padawan when I met him, but he grew up to be a great Jedi Master - his name was Obi-Wan Kenobi."


End file.
